There and Back Again
by zipadeea
Summary: Percy didn't want to leave. But he did. And the world didn't stop while he was gone. Post Blood of Olympus


"What would you like to drink, Percy?" Jason heard Hazel ask Percy kindly as they all sat down to a late dinner at the Poseidon table, rules be damned. They had just defeated Gaia and lost good friends in the process. They deserved to break the rules.

"Uh, Coke please, but could you make it," and Jason watched worriedly as the blood drained from Percy's face. "…blue. Oh my gods." Percy stood up abruptly, and looked ready to sprint away, but Annabeth grabbed his hand, stopping him in his tracks.

"Percy! It's okay, Percy. I called them while you were asleep. Percy, they're on their way already. It's all fine." Annabeth said soothingly, trying to calm down her agitated boyfriend. But Percy wasn't in the mood to be calmed.

"I should have called them! Oh, gods, it's been _months_ Annabeth! Holy shit. When did you call? When will they be here?" Percy asked desperately, looking up the hill as if he saw someone already there.

"Who are 'they'?" Piper questioned to him in a whisper. Jason was about to shrug his shoulders because he hadn't a clue, before recalling a memory.

Throughout late winter and early spring, Jason, Leo, and Piper had become year-round campers at Camp Half-Blood. They were joined by a couple dozen other kids, but had been told that the camp's numbers would rise to over a hundred at the start of summer.

Annabeth wasn't a year-rounder, though apparently she had been in the past. Now, she attended a boarding school in Manhattan. Since the time Jason had been dropped into this new life, without fail, Annabeth would arrive at camp on Friday afternoon around six at night, and she would leave on Sunday at two in the afternoon. Her schedule, like most of her life, ran like clockwork. So, when one weekend in March Annabeth didn't shown up until Saturday at noon, Jason noticed.

"Where were you?" Jason had asked while Annabeth was giving him his weekly lesson in Ancient Greek.

"What are you talking about?" Annabeth had replied, not looking up from her copy of _The Odyssey_.

"You always come Friday night. You just got here a few hours ago. Did something happen?" Annabeth had looked up sharply at that.

"None of your business, Grace." The girl bit out, and Jason had to fight not to roll his eyes. Jason understood that on some level, Annabeth resented him for Percy's disappearance, really he did. He resented Percy to a point for taking his place and uprooting him from his life. Both knew it was irrational and stupid, but the resentment continued.

But Annabeth was so temperamental about it. One moment, they could be nice to each other and work together, even sometimes joke for gods' sakes. But then, Jason would unknowingly say the wrong thing, or bring up a memory of Percy, or dare to ask simple questions about Annabeth's life and family, and she would just shut down. The minute Leo got the Argo II running and Jason could leave to find Percy, he would, but until then, Jason didn't see why he and Annabeth couldn't be friends.

"Just something I noticed. I wanted to make sure everything's okay with you. And it seems like it is, so great. Umm, yeah, so back to Circe and those pigs…" Jason had stammered out, and to his intense surprise and relief, Annabeth had laughed.

Having seen Jason's confusion, Annabeth had explained. "You just…you reminded me of Percy. Which is so weird, because in most ways you're they exact opposite. And well, Seaweed Brain and I have a bit of a history with Circe and her pigs, that's all." Then Annabeth had sighed. "Sorry I'm so awkward with you, Jason. I know you're being nice, and this is probably even harder for you than it has been for me. I just miss him, and I take it out on you too often.

"Percy's parents live in Manhattan. I go over and visit them every Sunday afternoon. Percy's stepdad had to go to a conference this weekend, so I went with his mom to her doctor's appointment. Everything's fine," Annabeth had reassured him when she saw his anxious expression, "Better than fine. Paul just didn't want her to go alone. So I went along."

"Oh." Jason had said stupidly, then they'd continued with their Greek lesson.

"I think it's his-," Jason began to respond, before Annabeth's phone buzzed on the table. Those gathered quieted immediately.

"They're here." Annabeth said softly. Percy was hurtling towards the hill before she stopped speaking.

"-family." Jason finished, before running after Percy with all of his friends close behind. By the time they reached the crest of the hill Percy was halfway down the other side, running towards a Prius parked on the side of the road.

Jason watched as a woman extracted herself from the front seat of the car and began sprinting towards Percy. She was a pretty woman, probably in her late thirties if Jason had to guess, with long brown hair and a lithe figure.

When he saw her, Percy put on an extra burst of speed and reached the woman in seconds.

"Mom!" Percy yelled, and then they were hugging, and Jason wasn't really sure which one was crushing the other. Neither looked like they were ever going to let go, and both were most definitely crying.

"Oh, Percy, oh, my baby!" Percy's mother cried out, her head smashed into her son's shoulder. She didn't seem to mind.

"I missed you, Mom." Jason heard Percy say. Next to him, Piper and Hazel were sniffling, and Annabeth covered her mouth with her hand. Even Frank wiped away a tear.

"I missed you, too, sweetheart. So, so much." And Percy's mom held him tighter.

Percy's eyes were closed, but Jason watched as the Prius' driver's door opened, and a dark-haired middle-aged man stepped out. He looked up the hill and smiled at his family, but didn't sprint up the hill like Percy's mom. Instead, Paul, Jason remembered was the man's name, opened the back door of the Prius, and gently pulled out a purple bundle, before carrying it slowly up the hill.

"Paul!" Percy cried out, finally opening his eyes and spying his stepfather slowly climbing the hill. He started running for the man, but kept a hold of his mother's hand.

"God, Percy, look at how much you've grown." Jason heard Paul say when Percy reached him. Jason guessed that Percy probably hadn't been taller than the man before he disappeared. Paul reached up his free hand to cup Percy's cheek, a soft smile on his face. Percy smiled back and moved to give his stepdad a hug, before finally noticing the bundle in Paul's arms.

"What-," Percy began, before stopping abruptly. He looked more shocked than Jason had ever seen.

 _"I went with his mom to her doctor's appointment. Everything's fine. Better than fine."_

"This is the special surprise I told you about." Percy's mom said softly. "We wanted to tell you on Christmas." She choked out.

"Can I hold her?" Percy asked in a strangled voice. Paul immediately obliged, and his mom moved Percy's hands to cup his little sister's head.

"What's her name?" Percy questioned softly, not looking up. He seemed mesmerized by the baby's face.

"Julia." His mother responded. "Julia Hope Blofis. She was born July 3."

"Hi, Jules." Percy, defeater of Titans, conqueror of gods, the kid who made it through Tartarus, _cooed_. "I'm sorry I wasn't there when you were born. But I promise you, I won't miss anything else. You are the most beautiful baby sister ever."

At the sight of her two children meeting each other for the first time, Percy's mom burst into renewed sobs, and her husband hugged her tightly. With a huge smile and shining eyes, Percy turned around, baby cradled in his arms, and finally looked at his friends.

"Come meet my sister!" Percy shouted to his friends gathered behind him on the hill. And Jason Grace, the golden child of Zeus, Hera's chosen one, the guy with the super-hot Aphrodite girlfriend, the kid who could _fly_ ,could honestly say he'd never been more jealous in his life.


End file.
